The Tale Of
by Enkei Reiton
Summary: There was the tale of Kurosaki Ichigo... But now there is the tale of a new boy who must embrace his destiny before everything he has come to hold dear is destroyed. Enter, for the second time the world of Shinigami, Arrancars, and something more evil...


**A/N: Okay, well I had this idea in my head for a while now. I blame the plot bunnies entirely. But if you wanted to know, this is the original story I planned to write instead of 'Bonds', but well... That did not happen. Now, 'Bonds' is a prequel of sorts to this story, but this story will be completed as before I continue the prequel. **

**In regards to my other stories, 'Exploring Our Worlds' will be continued shortly. As for 'Open Your Eyes' I'm having a bit of writers block with that one so it's on hiatus for now... Sorry about that, especially since its my most popular story. That is, in regards to whether or not you enjoy this one.**

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**Prologue: **_**'Keitaro...'**_

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_"Oi Keitaro!"_

_A young, pale-faced boy glanced backwards at the red head, whom he had been addressed by. Noticing that said red head was sprinting towards him, Keitaro decreased his walking speed, slowly coming to a complete halt. Although his red-haired friend was swift on his feet, the distance necessary to be covered was rather large, and Keitaro ended up waiting for a few moments before he was staring back into the incredibly green eyes of Ichiro Hasshin._

_It was a strange combination, but the green eyes and flaming, red hair seemed to work for the tall and lanky boy. Just by looking at him, it was obvious that he was a great athlete. Keitaro wasn't concerned though. He was, if not as good, even better than any of his friends at any and every sport. Seemingly, it was just something he was good at; it always came naturally to him, every individual movement and reflex. The two boys could get extremely competitive, yet at the end of the day, order was always restored._

_In the end, everything always worked out... Looking back at his best friend, Keitaro was glad he had such a great bond and an even better friend. However, he couldn't help but reply in his ever cocky manner, with a smirk present on his face, "Hmmm... what? Here for a rematch because I trounced you at soccer."_

_Ichiro growled, feigning anger before he smiled brilliantly at his pal, the pearly whites of his teeth gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. That was the great thing about Ichiro, he never seemed to get upset, and ever shining beacon of joy and energy for all of his friends. Despite never admitting this, Ichiro had cheered Keitaro up more times than he could count. Especially when it was a family holiday, he felt depressed and his energy all drained away. Not that it could be helped, because the only thing that would or remotely even could have was the faraway thought that somewhere, he did have a family. Speaking of which..._

_"Hey, Ichiro...", Ichiro stopped grinning stupidly and listened intently, his head head cocked to the side, "How is everyone?" Keitaro considered his friend's family to be like his own. They were always so kind and caring towards him, and sometimes... he was better off pretending that someone did actually care for him... Because that was a reminder that he existed, and that helped a lot. Ichiro squinted at his friend and burst into a huge fit of laughter, much to the abashment of Keitaro. "But w-what?..." Keitaro spluttered, "Why are you laughing!"_

_"Hmph," Ichiro said with a superior smirk plastered on his face, "Well you should know the answer to that one... Hmm lover boy?" He savored the moment while his friend's face achieved a never before seen shade of red. "After all," he elaborated, "Keitaro, you are the one with the crush on my sister..." Ichiro winked suggestively, and began walking away while a stream of curses spewed from Keitaro's mouth. And that was that for the day._

_Keitaro watched his friend's figure disappear into the horizon as his stupid grin fell off his face. He was alone again, and before he knew it or even noticed it was already nightfall. Vaguely he remembered watching all the mothers come and retrieve their children from the park with promises of their favorite suppers, and then he remembered sitting down on the swing. That was where he was right now, not moving even a little bit, not even an inch. Yet slowly he began, his feet rhythmically propelling himself off the ground, and he kept at it for who knows how long..._

_When he got home, it was already ten o'clock at night. Preparing his usual dinner - cup ramen - he grabbed a pair of chopsticks and sat at his small dining table. He wondered how he had ever gotten a home all to himself, who paid for it... A small part of his mind also contemplated on a typical family dinner if his parents had been around. Would it have been a quiet formal affair, or would he and his family be boisterous and loud while they ate away at their food? He decided that he would never know, so he shut that thought away into a small corner of his mind before he went to bed._

_Then, he fell asleep._

_**There was dark at first and then he saw a looming figure. People were shouting something he did not understand. It was japanese he was sure, but it all sounded muffled to him... Muffled by the roars of some vile and destructive beast that towered over the magnificent towers in the area. Everything was being destroyed and then, in a flash of blinding light, he found himself being shielded by a man with incredibly amber eyes. His hair was flaming orange as well, just like his own - the experience was incredibly surreal.**_

_**One second he had seen a claw of some sort headed straight for him, and then this man was in front of him, faster than light. This man, the man who had even defied physics was telling him something. He couldn't understand though, people were still screaming, now more desperately than out of fear. That was all he could make out. Oh how he wished he could understand the man, to comprehend the unheard words. Keitaro had to know, he needed to know; to know the words was of the essence, he was certain that they were important. **_

_**Light flashed briefly and the yelling stopped. In some part of his mind Keitaro wondered what had just occurred, but all the same, in all honesty he didn't care all that much. Because, in that one moment he could hear what the man was saying... He didn't understand the importance of what was being said, for now however, hearing it seemed to be enough. 'Keitaro,' the man who was speaking winked, 'Listen to your motor-mouthed mother.' **_

_**'Keitaro,' the man could barely move but he kept smiling for some reason. Blood even trailed down his face and mouth. He was near death, even someone as inexperienced as Keitaro could tell. But still... he spoke one last time, his name...**_

_**'Keitaro...'**_

_**And then brilliant amber eyes flashed once more before they dulled, and he was pulled back into the dark.**_

_He awoke with a start. Panting heavily, Keitaro was sweating profusely and his body was convulsing and shivering feverishly. Slowly, his heart rate slowed and the convulsions stopped, and he was completely calm. For some reason though, he could not shake the images of the dream from his head. They were burned into his mind indefinitely. Keitaro clutched at his face, digging his nails into his skin like some lunatic might do. 'What the hell was that!' He thought before drifting off into an uneasy sleep._

_Somewhere far off in the distance and owl hooted and the wind blew ever so slightly the winds ruffling in the breeze. And Keitaro was sure that he heard somebody, a female say something to him._

_**'Sweet dreams, Keitaro... Goodnight.'**_

_And then the man's voice again._

_**'Keitaro..'**_

_A flash of brilliant amber and orange._

_**'Who are you..'**_

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'_**Just as some things are better left unsaid, maybe some questions are better left unanswered.'**_

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**A/N: Also, one more thing, don't worry about the fact that all the characters are OC's. The originals will soon find their way into this story. By the way, Keitaro's nightmare is a nightmare within another dream. It may seem a bit confusing at first but as the plot advances, everything will be cleared up.**

_**-WindSurfer**_


End file.
